Smoke-stack cleaner.



Patented July 21, 1914.

2 SHE FELICIANO C. WILLA'I, 0F MONTEVIDEO, UUGUAY.

SMOKE-STACK CLEANER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1914.

Application led March 25, 1912. Serial No. 686,107.

To all 'whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, FELIGIANO C. ViLLAT, a citizen of the Republic of Uruguay, and a resident of Montevideo, Uruguay, have invented a new and Improved Smoke-Stack Cleaner, of which the following is a full,

clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to a new and improved means for cleaning a smoke stack of soot andother adhering matter, and an object of my invention is to provide a simple, readily actuated mechanism, by means of which the inside of the stack may be cleansed of the soot, and the top of the stack automatically closed in the act of starting the brushing mechanism.

A further object of my invention is to provide a means by which the agitated soot and other matter may be deposited in a suitable receptacle at the bott-omfof the smoke stack.

I attain the above-outlined objects by constructing an open-ended smoke stack connected with the furnace by v.flue passages entering into the stack intermediate its length, disposed about the upper end of which stack is a housing containing a stack-closing bell, within which bell is disposed a brush, two modified kforms of which are disclosed in this application.V

Reference is to be had to the `accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts all the figures, and in whichw l Figure 1 is a side elevationshowing a preferred embodiment of my invention attached to a furnace or other similar device; Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view through the top of my improved smoke stack With the closing bell in position to open the top of the stack; Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2, but showing the bell in closing position.; Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical sectional View taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail side elevation of one of the brackets supporting the pulley device; Fig. 6 is an enlarged sectional View showing the lower end of the hoisting rope and its containing casing, and Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a modied form of brush.

Described more in detail, I have shown a smoke stack A suitably mounted upon a furnace B, which stack has an open lower end 0, through Which the soot is allowed to fall into a suitable receptacle D. The passage through the stack A is closed, except when the stack is being cleaned, by means. of a damper. Above vthe damper, communication risai'orded to the stack A fromthe furnace B, by means of flues E, and communication between the furnace and the stack is open, except when said stack is being cleaned, by means of dampers Gr.

Extending above'the open top 8V of the stack A and fastened to the outside thereof by rivets 9, is a pair of transversely-disposed brackets 10, one of which brackets, as shown in Fig. 5, extending some material distance above the other bracket and terminating in aninwardly-extending arm 11,

the extreme outer and upper end' of which arm supports a pulley 12, which pulley is so disposed that a flexible lifting member 13 passes over said pulley. The flexible member 13 has one end attached to the brush 14 hereinafter described, the otherl end of which is passed over a pulley 15 mounted on the outside of the bracket 10 adjacent its connection with the arm 11 and falls in a vertical line to be passed about a third pulley 16 mounted in any convenient position adjacent the bottom of the stack A, said other end terminatingin a looped end 17. Preferably, this flexible member is incased in a protecting tube 18 and passes through an aperture 19 in an end plate 20. It .will be seen that by pulling on the VJflexible member 13, the brush 14 may be raised to its highest position adjacent the pulley 12 and held in that position by knotting the flexible member, the knots so formed preventing the flexible member froml threading itself back through the opening 19. f

Extending outwardly from each of the brackets 10, is an ear 21, fixedly attached to each of which ears and supported by the crotch portion 22 thereof, is anfopen-bottom housing or hood 23, which housing or vhood is disposed concentrically relative to the stack A and incloses the brush 14 and its 'supporting members.'- The innerv fase. ef

each of the brackets 10 has an inwardlyfaclng slot 24 affording a guldeway for the ribs 25 disposed onl transversely opposite sides of the cylindrical formed closing cap Y `26, the upper end of which cap is closed by means of a hood 27, having a centrally disposed aperture 28, through which aperture passes the end of the i'iexible member 13 attached to the brush 14.

Adapted to be housed within the cap 26 and supporting said cap in a raised position as shown in Fig. 2, is the brush 14, which brush consists of a plate 29 carrying a cen trally-positioned ring 30, to which ring is fastenedr an end of the flexible member 13. Depending from' the periphery of the plate 29 is a series of link chains 31. It will be seen by this construction, that the brush 14 will drop by itsv own weight into the stack A and the closing cap 26 being deprived of the support of this brush, will drop guided by its ribs 25 moving' in the slots 24, until the cap 26 rests on the top of the stack A, thereby closing the top of the stack. The

brush 14 ismoved up and down thestack, the

chains 31 acting to scrape the inside of the stack free from soot or any adhering matter.

During this operation, the stack A is disconnected from the furnace B by closing the dampers Gr and the'soot and other material separated from the pipe is precipitated into the receptacle D by opening the damper E.

The brush herein described is particularly suitable for a cylindrical form of stack, but in case of an irregular or frusto conical shaped stack or chimney, it is necessary to have a form of brush that willl always be in engagement withk the undter side ofthe stack or chimney, irrespective ofthel shape of the latter. F or these irregular shaped stacks or chimneys, l utilize in place of the brush 14 hereinbefore described', an umbrella brush such as disclosed in Fig. 7. This brush comprises a ring 32` concentrically spaced from the ring 30 by means of ribs Pivotally connected with the ring 32 is a series of depending spaced-apart arms- 33, the lower end of each alternate arm having rigidly mounted' thereon, a brush 34 with itsbrist'leslfacing outward, each of thev other of said arms 33 having slidably l mounted thereon, a similarly disposed brush 341 adjacent its outer end 35. Each of thefends 351 of the a'rms33 carriesa scraping plate 36. The brushes are braced in position and maintained in their spaced-apart relation by a bonding wire 3'? passingi-n stretched position from one brush to another. In order to maintain-the brushes resiliently in engagement with the walls of the stack, they are held in outwardv position by a series of stretchers 38'pivotally connectedv to a' runner 39 sliding freely upon a staff 40 depending from therngio, the oppositeY outer end of each stretcher 38 being pivotally connected with one of the arms 33 intermediate its length.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A smoke stack attachment including a housing positioned above the upper end of the stack, a closing cap slidably mounted within said housing and adapted to fall by gravity to closey the upper end of said stack, and a brush disposed above said stack and adapted to fall into the same to clean the sides thereof, said brush when in raised position disposed within said cap to support the same in position to uncover the top of said stack;

2. A smoke stack attachment including a housing positioned above the upper end of the stack, an apertured closing cap slidably mounted within said housing and adapted to fall by gravity to closethe upper end of said stack, a brush disposed above said stack and adapted to fall into the same to clean the sides thereof, said brush when in raised position disposed within said cap to support the same in position to uncover the top of said stack, and a flexible member attached to the brush and passing out through thel aperture ofthe cap, said member being operable from the bottom of the stack and by means of which said brush is actuated and said brush and cap supported in their raised position.

3. A brush for cleaning smoke stacks of irregular configuration, comprising a supporting member, a series of arms pivotally `supported from said member, a brush carried by each of said arms, the brushes of alter- `nate arms being slidably mounted thereon,

a stretcher pivotally attached to each of said arms, said' stretchers extending inwardly to ward each other, a freely sliding runner on the supporting member, said stretchers piv otally connected with said runner, and a bonding wire connecting the several brushes.

4. A smoke stack attachment including a slidingly mounted cap for closing the upper end ofthe stack, a brush disposed above the stack and adapted to" fall into'the same to clean the sides thereof, said brush when raised being disposed within the cap, and means connected with the brush for raising itv and the cap and supporting them raised.

5. fn combination with a smoke stack having a pair oftransversely disposed brackets projecting above the upper edge thereof and supported therefrom, each of said brackets having an inwardly facing groove, a closing cap slidably mounted in said grooves, a brush disposed within said closing cap, and means for raising said brushand cap.

6. In' combina-tion with a smoke stack having a pair of transversely disposed brackets projecting above the upper edge thereof and supported therefrom, each of said brackets having an inwardly facing groove, an apen tured closing cap slidably mounted in said grooves, a brush disposed Within said closing cap, a protecting tube at one side of the stack and having an apertured plate at its lower end, and a flexible member secured to the brush passing through the aperture of the cap and extending down and through 10 the protecting tube.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of tvvo subscribing Witnesses.

FELICIANO C. WILLAT.

Witnesses:

ALFREDO METZLGREEN, VW. S. ORToN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve c ents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

.. Washington, D. C. 

